The Woodentops

Before During After One Little Indian

Successful 1980s rockers The Woodentops release an all-encompassing retrospective collection of the highlights of their career to date with the fitting subtitle Remasters,Remixes & Rarities 1982 – 1992. At 52 songs deep, it is nothing short of extensive and offers an overwhelming overview of the band’s breezy folk rock in one fell swoop.

The chirpy clanging of Love Train represents The Woodentops’ penchant for bopping melodies, while the fan favourite Stop This Car has the late 1980s written all over it, bouncing like a Molly Ringwald school-table-top dance routine. The inclusion of dub-legend Adrian Sherwood’s mixes is a glorious idea, and this is particularly celebrated on Why Why Why, as Sherwood draws out the darker aspects of a typically bright and fiery band.

With a rich legacy, this Best-Of marathon doesn’t seem unnecessarily indulgent, but could definitely benefit from being slightly clipped at the edges. The die-hard fans will undoubtedly be excited, as no stone is left unturned in this comprehensive compendium of The Woodentops’ brilliant career.